griffen



(No Model.) ZSheetS-Sheet 1. J. D. GRIFFEN.

UNDERGROUND TROLLEY CONDUIT. No. 581,281. Patented Apr. 27, 1897` WITESSES NVENTR @g 07% RM%4 M41/ B Z ATTORNEY 2. .fu e e h S v n e h S 2 NE nr. P I R G D. Tm d. d 0 M nu W UNDERGRUUND TRDLLBY GONDUIT.

Patented Apr. 27, 1897.

ATTORNEY Trolley Conduits, of which the following is a UNITED STATESJOHN D. GRIFFEN, OF NElV PATENT rEicE.

YORK, N. Y.

UNDERGROUND=TRLLEY CONDUET.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Fatemi', No. 581,28l, dated April27, 1897.

Application filed May 22, 1893. Serial No. 474,998. iNO mOdL) To allwhom, it may concern:

Beit known that l, JOHN D. GRIFFEN, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of New York, in the county of New York and State of New York,have invented certain new and `useful improvements inUndergroundspecification.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis speciiication, in which like letters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in both iigures.

Figure l is a transverse sectional view of my new underground-trolleyconduit, showing the street-surface, the railway-rails, and thepreferred underground structure. Fig. 2 isa longitudinal sectionalelevation taken on line 0c a: of Fig. l.

The object of my invention is to devise such a construction of anunderground-trolley conduit that it shall possess the advantages of fullprotection to the electrical conductor from water, dirt, slush, snow,dsc., and meet all demands for easy and convenient service and provideample air insulation to prevent arcing and loss of electrical energy andyet be comparatively inexpensive, considering the stability and life ofthe structure; and to this end my invention consists principally of atrolley-conduit contained in an outer or main trench or conduit coveredby the slot-rails, the trolley-conduit being formed with an opening atthe top at one side of the trolley-arm slot, said top opening beingprotected by an offset inclined plato or flange attached to thestructure.

The invention also consists in the construction of the trolley-arm andits auxiliary parts and in the special construction of the conduit, allas herein after described and claimed.

Referring to the drawings, A. A represent yokes, preferably ofcast-iron, supported by the sills or I-beams B B. These yokes will beplaced in the trench at suitable distances apart, and they form inconnection with interposed cement the main outer conduit or chamber Csubstantially the same as in the trenches used for cable-railways.

D D are the continuous slot-rails bolted, riveted, or otherwise securedto the yokes over the trench or chamber C. These form the slot cl forthe trolley-arm E and also the treads a a for the trolley-track F, ifused.

Nithin the chamber C in the trench is formed the trolley-chamber G,whichincloses the conductor ll. This chamber G is formed by the casing J, theupper edge of which approaches the slot-rail D', leaving a top slot oropening l) for the trolley-arm E. The opposite edge of the casing J isby preference secured to the yokes by bolts c c and is supported at thebottom by rests or arms J', secured by bolts to the yokes, as shown. Theopening Z) is located at one side of the trolleyslot (l, and the side ofthe casing J is held at a sharp angle, so that any dirt, slush, or snowwhich may drop through the slot upon the casing will not lodge thereon,but drop down to the bottom of the trench.

Above the opening o and also at one side of the trolley-slot d ispermanently held the plate or flange K. This is offset from the upperedge of the casing J to form a space @for the trolley-arm, and it isbolted to the inner surface of the slot-rail D and its lower edgeprojects somewhat below or overlaps and protects the upper edge of thecasing J and is by preference held at an angle. This plate serves toprevent all foreign mattei' that may drip from the slot d from enteringthe trolley-chamber Gr.

The conductor ll is supported by the springarm L and spool-insulatorsf,as shown clearly in the drawings.

The trolley-arm h is formed of a central plate g of copper, a covering gof insulating material, and an outer casing g of steel or other meta-l,and it is formed with a straight upper section 7L and an S-shaped lowersection h', the upper bend t' serving to enter thc space c and clear theadjacent edges of the casing J and flange K, the lower bend c" servingto form a support for the journal-plates t2 i2 for the trolley-wheel H',which, as here shown, runs beneath the conductor, though an overrunningtrolley-wlieel maybe used, if desired.

The trolley-wheel is held in slotted bearings upon springs j, which holdthe wheel up in contact with the conductor, and these springs, inconnection with the spring-arms L, insure continuous contact.

IOO

In some cases I shall employ a lower guide for the trolley-arm, whichmay be variously constructed. In this instance said guide comprisesflanges 71:7@ at the bottom of the casing J, and a plate M, secured toand insulated from the trolley and guide wheels Z, journaled at the endsof the plate to run between the said flanges 7c 7o.

The trolley-arm may be carried by the motor on the body of the car, orit may be carried by a small truck F, which runs upon the slot-rails andis connected to the car body or motor. (Not shown.) This truck comprisesthe body m and wheels m m. The trolleyarm is secured in the center ofthe body in a slot, and the truck is held down upon the track by springsn a on rods 7?/ n', which enter the body of the car, so that the truckmay have a slight up-anddown movement without materially affecting thetrolley-arm.

In some instances I may brace the casing J by arms N, (shownin dottedlines in Fig.

1,) but I prefer to use only the supports J',

for in such case there will be no cross-braces to obstruct clearing thetrench as occasion requires.

In front and rear of the trolley-arm are carried by the truck F or thecar the guards O O, which run in the slot d and clearthe same andprevent wear upon the trolley-arm.

Instead of the wheel H a brush, plate, or shoe may be used, and thetrolley-arm may be provided with a sheet of insulating material, as atp, if found necessary.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Iatent, is

l. An underground-trolley conduit comprising a main trench formed ofmetal yokes set at intervals apart in the ground, the intermediate spacebeing closed to form a continuous main trench, slot-rails mounted onsaid yokes and a diaphragm forming a trolley-casing closed at its bottomand sides and fastened in and along the said main trench, the saidtrolley-casing having an opening or slot at its top near one side ofthemain trench, and a separate guard-plate secured to the structure abovethe trolley-casin g the adjacent edges of the said guard-plate and thcdiaphragm of the trolley-casing being in substantially the samehorizontal plane and offset or spaced therefrom to form a second orinterior slot, in combination with a trolleyarm bent to form an anglebelow said guardplate, and also bent to form another angle above theupper edge of the trolley-casing, substantially as described.

2. The yokcs A which in part form the main trench, and the supports Jsecured to said yokes within the trench, in combination with a casing Jsecured at one edge to the said yokes and held upon the said supportsJ', the opposite edge of the casing being curved upward toward the topof the trench substantially as described.

Signed at New York, in the counts7 of New York and State of New York,this 19th day of May, A. D. 1893.

JOHN D. GRIFFEN.

lVitnesses:

WM. CLINTON BURLING, H. A.. WEST.

